Did you know that you can cook fish from frozen? In this post you’ll learn how to cook fish like cod and salmon from frozen – there’s a basic method plus one for breaded fish.
What do you do when you forget to take something out of the freezer for dinner? You know that mad panic. You’re halfway home from work or from picking up the kids when you realize that you don’t have any dinner plans. Suddenly you’re pulling a U-turn to head to the grocery store, find something quick and easy to make, stand in line to pay, and then finally back into the car and headed home.
And you still have to actually *make* dinner. But you know what? This doesn’t happen to me anymore. Not since I learned how to cook fish from frozen. (You can also make air fryer frozen fish.)
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Can You Cook Fish From Frozen?
Yes! Now that I’ve discovered how to cook fish from frozen, there’s way fewer panicked evenings trying to figure out dinner. Since I learned this technique, I make sure to always have fish fillets or portions in the freezer ready to pop in the oven at a moment’s notice. Cod, salmon, and more are now so much easier to enjoy! Oh, and in case you’re curious, you can cook shrimp from frozen too. Now onto the fish fillets….
Video: How To Cook Fish From Frozen
Making Breaded Fish From Frozen
The recipe below is just for cooking fish without a breading. But if you want it breaded like in the picture, here’s what you do.
I lightly oiled cod portions and put them on a heavy-duty baking sheet that can withstand a high temperature then baked at 450°F until nearly cooked through (about 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, mix together 2 tablespoons of milk with 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard. Set it aside.
In a separate bowl, combine ½ cup panko bread crumbs,1 tsp. olive oil, ⅛ tsp. salt, ⅛ tsp. black pepper,
¼ tsp. garlic powder. Keep stirring for a bit until all crumbs are moistened. Then toast those until nice and brown for a few minutes in a skillet on the stove over medium heat, or on a sheet pan in the 450F oven for 3-5 minutes (watch them carefully and stir once). However you cook them, transfer the crumbs out of the skillet or off the pan immediately so they don’t keep cooking.
I then removed the fish from the oven and brushed the tops of the fillets lightly with the Dijon-milk mixture, and then sprinkled the fillets with the toasted breadcrumbs.
The cod goes back into the oven until the fish registers 145°F on an instant-read thermometer and was flaky in the middle. Easy, right? I hope you love this easy and convenient way to cook fish! -Christine xo
More Cooking From Frozen Guides
You can find all sorts of instructions and tips for cooking from frozen on my site. Here’s some you’ll definitely want to check out.
Podcast Episode: Cooking Frozen Fish
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this fish, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintHow To Cook Fish From Frozen
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Did you know that you can cook fish from frozen? These are the basic instructions for cooking cod and salmon portions from frozen. To make the fish with crunchy crumb crust pictured here, the instructions are immediately above this recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 (4-6 oz.) cod or salmon portions
- 2 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
- Salt, pepper and/or other seasonings or sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Remove frozen fish from all packaging and rinse under cold running water to remove any ice crystals.
- Arrange fish in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with oil on all sides.
- Bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and add seasonings or sauce.
- Continue to bake until hot and flaky in the center, about 8-12 more minutes. Thicker portions may need to be flipped over halfway through cooking and may require a few extra minutes to cook through.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
This post originally appeared in April 2014 and was revised and republished in September 2023.
Angela says
I have tried to cook fish from frozen, and so this is life-altering :) I love the idea of chai-poached seafood. And I am going to try some from-frozen cod tonight.
Laura Phillips says
I would love to try the Semolina-Crusted Alaska Halibut. I love the convenience of popping fish into the oven without thawing.
Becca Heflin says
The roasted cod with kale pesto sounds intriguing!
Shelby says
The lime chipotle snow crap sounds amazing!
Sandy Headtke says
Would love to try the Roasted Alaskan Cod. I feel much more comfortable buying frozen fish. Don’t understand the term ” fresh previously frozen” that I see in the market
Taylor Closet says
I would LOVE to try the Semolina Crusted recipe, looks awesome.
Carolyn says
Great post. Even though I work from home, I still often forget to take things out of my freezer in time!
Christine Pittman says
Ginger, I’d love to learn more about your recipes. I love Alaskan Salmon too. Nothing beats it!
Leanne says
Chai poached Alaska Rockfish :)
Christine Pittman says
Great choice, Leanne!
Dee Fedor says
I would try Roasted Alaska Cod with Kale Pesto
Christine Pittman says
Dee, doesn’t that pesto sound fabulous? I want to try this one too!
Lily Sheng says
I would love to try the Chai-Grilled Alaska Snow Crab recipe!
Christine Pittman says
Lily, I think that sounds wonderful too. It’s made me wonder what else I can do with chai.
Gail K. says
India Pale Ale poached cod sounds great!
Christine Pittman says
Gail, That one does sound particularly good. I bet the slightly bitter flavor of the IPA would be brilliant with all that buttery cod!
Heidi @foodiecrush says
What a fun contest and awesome tips to cook from frozen. The ebook looks great! I’d have to go with Whiskey Halibut, my husband would flip.
Christine Pittman says
Heidi, Thanks! Yea, that Whiskey Halibut looks amazing. My husband would love it too. Hmmm…actually, I’m going to add it to our meal plan for next week right now!
Sally says
Love Alaskan Seafood! Everyone laughed at me for dragging a Copper River King all the way across the country in the overhead compartment of the airplane!! Until they tasted it!!
Christine Pittman says
Sally, I would totally have done that too! The Copper River King is truly incredible. I’ve only ever had it once and my mouth waters just thinking about it.
Jen @ Such a Funny Fat says
I had no idea that you could make fish from frozen like that but I have some cod in the freezer and will definitely have to try it!! Thanks for sharing!
Christine Pittman says
Jen, it works out surprisingly well. I wasn’t sure at first. And then I tried it. Now it is the first thing I think of when I’m rushing home at the end of the day thinking, “Shoot! What on earth can I make for dinner?” If I have that fish in my freezer, I know it’s going to be quick, easy and delicious.
Dan Guerrero says
the semolina crusted halibut looks great, cant wait to try it
Christine Pittman says
Dan, You’re right! That halibut looks incredible. I really love cooking with semolina and will definitely give it a try as well.
Katerina says
I love, love salmon! Thanks for the tips!
Christine Pittman says
Katerina, agreed! Salmon is fantastic! Thanks for visiting.
Judit @Wine Dine Daily says
Love the crunchy topping, Christine! Living by the ocean we have mostly fresh fish but it is nice to have a few meals in the freezer and this look delicious.
Christine Pittman says
Judit, I’m so jealous. I’m in Florida. But the middle of it. We don’t get nearly as much fresh-caught seafood as you might expect. It’s hard to find it within a 20 mile radius of our house for sure. What I love about this method is that I can buy seafood in bulk when it’s on sale, or buy specific types that are only in season at certain times of the year. Then I freeze it and can have it later on when it would be more expensive or unavailable. (But yes, fresh-caught from the ocean would always be better. Lucky you!)
MaryB says
The Lemongrass poached halibut looks delicious but then all the recipes look so good. I especially love halibut and salmon.
Christine Pittman says
Mary, Don’t the recipes in that ebook look fantastic? I honestly want to try them all. Amazing!
Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says
Great post Christine – I find much of the fish in the supermarket is defrosted so I love the idea of having my own frozen fish to take out in portions that I need for dinner. Makes it so much more accessible.
Christine Pittman says
Jeanette, We have the same situation here. So many of the pieces of fish available in the fish counter say “previously frozen.” I find that the fish that is sold frozen is actually fresher most of the time because it was frozen shortly after being caught (and never defrosted to sit in that counter). Glad you like the idea!